WINDSURF MAGAZINE 71on from their counterparts, assuming some previous foiling experience and
base-level understanding of how to utilise a foil for early release. They look
extreme ... and yet the learning curve for wind foiling is extremely steep,
meaning they aren’t beyond the realms of possibility for anyone reading this
article. A little tuition can go a long way ... and then it is just time on the
water. To illustrate this, consider the RRD Pocket Rocket. At 180 cm in
length, most would look at it and think tacking is an impossibility. And yet
... with a max width of 76 cm by the shoulders, a volume of 122 litres and
most importantly the innate stability of a foil strapped underneath, tacking
is in fact a very straightforward affair for anyone that is capable of stepping
round on a large wave board.
Talking of the RRD, its inclusion in this test raises another very current
discussion topic - that of strapless / harness-less foiling. Foils are crossing
over between surf sports, and many WindSUPs on the market have been
given a new dimension by evolving to offer foil use as well, so it was only
a matter of time before convention was challenged once more. After all, it
makes perfect sense when the sail’s forces are that much lighter and more
manageable. Why force the issue? If this is your own personal point of in-
terest ... wait one more month as our WindSUP test is just around the cor-
ner. With the progress made in just one season, all of a sudden the notion
of a novice windsurfer learning to windfoil before they’ve even considered
learning footstrap and harness work doesn’t seem so far fetched, does it?
And why not? Let’s face it - any route into the sport can only be a good
thing for the industry’s growth and sustainability. You may look at some of
the latest developments and scoff at their very existence (and I haven’t even
mentioned wing-foiling yet), but people will naturally gravitate towards the
style of foiling that mirrors the style of windsurfing they are already into.
Pick the foil and platform that is going to provide the most enjoyment for
you ... and my advice is not to knock the others until you’ve had first-hand
experience. You never know, you might be surprised!TIPS
Before we continue to the summary, here are some key tips to remember:- Firstly, stiffness in a foil is paramount. If there is any play or movement at
any joint or fixing in the foil, its influence will be felt ten-times over in flight.
When you come back in from your first session, check and re-check the ten-
sion in all the screws. If you’re using a Foil box / Tuttle box head, make extra
sure the back bolt is tight and secure - this one will stop the foil jack-knifing
into the hull of your board! If there has been any movement during your first
outing, the front screw will be loose, so tighten it up! - Aluminium and carbon don’t mix at the best of times, but add the electro-
lyte of salt water into the mix and you have the perfect recipe for your ex-
pensive new purchase to seize and become one piece! Take time to maintain
your foil. Many of the brands are good enough to supply a marine grade lu-
bricant ... but if it’s not supplied, buy some. Tef-Gel, that is the one we use
in the centre - a small 5oz pot costs around £20.00. A high price for a small
quantity, but it really is a lifesaver. Before fixing your screws into place, dip
the head of the screw into the pot ... but then wash your hands because the
stuff is incredibly sticky and heaven forbid you get some on your boom! - The last point is that setup between foil, board and rig is absolutely
crucial. A good foil can feel terrible in a good foil board if the setup isn’t
fine-tuned. Be prepared to experiment - some foils come with shims or
washers to adjust wing angles; others can be adjusted by simply adjusting
some screws. Get the flight right and you are onto a winner, making your
session fun and easy whilst others seem to be struggling.
to catch waves, unbroken swell lines or even the wake of a boat. These
qualities and assets are instantly transferrable to windsurfing and what is
more, they’re transferrable using largely the same front wings and foiling
components. All that needs to change is the setup and foil geometry. It’s an
exciting and liberating way forward; cross pollination between water sports
can only be a good thing.
There are some notable brand names missing from the test lineup unfor-
tunately, due to their products not being available within our test window.
Their inclusion may well have balanced the field between low and high
aspect wings, and we will find out in the very near future, as the intention
is to grab them at the earliest opportunity and report our findings in a catch
up test. Watch this space...
On the board front, we have six foil-specific boards on review here -
more than were even available on the market in 2018! As with last year,
tail width is the primary consideration, matching the right board to each
specific foil’s dimensions (since the shift to low-aspect foils has increased
the diversity available). Boards come in all shapes and sizes, largely classed
by volume (albeit we believe this may well become a thing of the past for
this board category). Yet unlike conventional windsurfing, where the larg-
er the board volume, the easier it is to use, we’d go as far to say that the
narrower foil-specific boards - 120s for example - are actually far easier to
get on with compared to their larger siblings, many of which we tested last
year. The reason is simple. On the smaller board, the tails are narrower, so
the geometry of the fittings (the footstraps in relation to the mast track
and fin box) is more familiar, making it easier to transition from normal
windsurfing and back again. Some of the boards here are perfect introduc-
tory-progression platforms, with enough waterline and rocker-flat to be
pumped onto the plane in an ‘old-school’ fashion using the sail. Others
here are quite stumpy in appearance with no-nose outlines, the virtues of
which become apparent once hovering in the air. They are, in effect, a step
THE LINEUP- FANATIC FLOW FOIL 1250 and STINGRAY 125
- NEIL PRYDE GLIDE WIND and JP HYDROFOIL 120 FWS
- RRD WH FLIGHT ALU 85 V2 and POCKET ROCKET 122
- SLINGSHOT HOVER GLIDE FWIND and WIZARD 125
- STARBOARD SUPERCRUISER and FOIL 111
- TABOU AIR RIDE 81 CED